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Máirts Musings - Wait a minute!

Listening to the radio over the last few days, there have been two key notes sounding repeatedly in the background. Many presenters seem to have just come back after summer breaks and are reflecting on a fabulous summer, ‘and sure, didn’t the kids have a great time!’. I’m happy for them but struck by the other thread which is running though alot of the airwave banter, its back to school. These things do of course go together but I was struck by the tone. It seems that most of the voices on my radio that have children attached, were delighted with the good weather and enjoyed taking time to be with their little darlings but now just want to get back into it. Back to school, back to normal, back to routine, into some sort of rythm. Whether people have had a great time on holidays or have had some sort of disaster, it seems that there is a drive to get back to ‘normality’ or into the swing of things or into a rythm and I can see why.

Life is easier when you can get into a rhythm, things can fall into place and there will be a place for them to fall into. Life is so big with so much going on, I find it really needs a rhythm in order to be able to identify all the different notes and keep things going.

I have been wrtiting these articles for a year now and it has really become part of my rhythm. It has made me make time to do some writing, which is great and something I have been saying I will do for ages and not doing because it wasn’t part of the rhythm of my life.

It is amazing what you can fit into your life if there is a good structure or pattern to it. A break and some space, a pause in the music if you will, can be great but a pause presumes the start again, it is part of the pattern. Life is not a collection of experiences any more than music is a collection of notes. The rhythm often dictates what type of music is being played. Many religions and religious groups talk of a pattern of life and I know of one or two Christian groups that talk of a rhythm of life as what defines them. I like that idea. One reason why is that, as I sort of said already, the sense of having a good pattern can help you fit in other stuff but it also helps keep stuff going without having to think about it too much. Something that fits into a rhythm and is going on all the time won’t take too much thought or effort, it gets a momentum of its own. If you had to think, I mean really think about every thing that you do, your head would spin. If you get into your grove though, it is amazing all you can get done.

Now I don’t mean doing things on auto pilot, Im all in favour of being mindfull. If, however you have got into a good rhythm I think it becomes easier to notice all the bits around you as well as your own stuff and if you can notice that may be you can get a feel for what lies beneath, between and behind. A bit like realy getting into a piece of music to the point where the notes don’t have your attention but you can feel the mood and emotions behind them.

Rev. Máirt, one wife, two parishes (for the moment), three kids and as of Sunday four lay people to help cover all the services